INK Entertainment is tackling safety head on at 2017’s edition of Veld Music Festival. Returning to Downsview Park on August 5th and 6th, organizers are implementing heightened preventative measures that will be included at multiple outreach booths with peer-to-peer counseling and crisis intervention managed by Trip! Volunteers, various First-Aid tents located in highly visible areas and roaming medical crews. In addition to these outlets, Veld itself will be employing a strict harm reduction strategy that follows in the footsteps of long-running Canadian festivals, such as Shambhala.

Intended to ensure the safety of its patrons and to provide a safe and enjoyable festival experience, VELD Music Festival will be making the following additions to this year’s show:

– A designated space that will be offered for women who may feel unsafe, and will be stationed with female security staff

– A strong medical presence, all of whom will have access to state-of-the-art progressive methods to attend to any on-site emergencies

– In consultation with Toronto Public Health and in the interest of public safety, naloxone will be permitted

– Additional man-made shade areas to further protect patrons from possible effects of heatstroke and dehydration

– Increased number of water stations to ensure festival goers stay hydrated

– Dedicated accessible washrooms for festival goers with disabilities

The full press release reads: “The safety and well-being of our patrons continues to be a top priority for us when developing the safety and harm reduction protocols for our events,” says Jamil Kamal, director of risk management, INK Entertainment. “We are proud of the successful partnerships we have and the cooperative approaches we take with the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Paramedic Services and Spectrum Event Medical Services. We look forward to sharing our added knowledge and experience with our peers in the music festival industry to contribute to the positive impact on harm reduction in the community.”
Feature image via Thump Canada

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TRC

Stemming from its roots as a Facebook group in 2012, TRC brings Toronto-area electronic music fans together as one community. The platform is an extension of this mission, providing a fully-integrated and unified ecosystem for electronic music fans to connect, and be the trusted source for local talent, events, and Canadian music news through community-driven editorial and podcasting.

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Stemming from its roots as a Facebook group in 2012, TRC brings Toronto-area electronic music fans together as one community. The platform is an extension of this mission, providing a fully-integrated and unified ecosystem for electronic music fans to connect, and be the trusted source for local talent, events, and global music news through community-driven editorial and podcasting.